June 5 - Day 121 - New York City to Houston and Home                       

We are homeward bound today. One last, leisurely breakfast in the small breakfast area. This hotel is a nice place to stay in New York, and not as horribly expense as most places. The location is good with some good places to eat within a few blocks. With the subway and taxis nothing is too far away.  Our flight leaves at 2:50PM so we head to the airport around 11AM.

The flight is uneventful and we arrive in Houston on time. Our daughter and two grandsons are waiting for us. We have dinner with them and answer all kinds of questions about the trip before heading home. Exhausted we crash as soon as we can turn on the hot water, the AC and get cleaned up. Unloading can wait!

It has been a fabulous trip, but we need our own bed! I think we will voluntarily clip our wings now. A total of nine and a half months traveling around the world twice, covering 75.000 miles the first time and 55,000 this time is enough. Add to that a 72 day cruise around South America, an 84 day driving trip to Alaska and a 2 week trip on an ice breaker to Antarctica and we have checked off most places on our bucket list! Well, except the Polar Bears at Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. But hey, at least they live in our part of the world!


Postscript:

Thanks for reading our blog. It has taken us along time to wind this one up. We came home and immediately tore our house up by starting a six month long remodel and repair ordeal. Then it was Christmas and then we had to get the travel books from the blog ready. It has taken three 100 page volumes to get all the blog and pictures covered.

Of course, that also meant I had to finish the last two days. So I am posting those as I send off the book files to be published.

We love to travel and loved this trip, but this has been a hard one with Carolyn's mobility issues and Dick's emerging knee problem. Think we will look for a less active option next time. Will we go round the world again?  Maybe so, but it will be a few years down the road and on a cruise ship for the whole trip!

We enjoyed the Queens Grill on the Queen Mary 2 very much and can see sailing to England or Germany for a several weeks stay, especially staying somewhere in Scotland or Wales and then sailing home on her.

We absolutely loved our time in South Africa and would go back in a heart beat if no flying was involved! The self drive safaris were just as wonderful as our first one and we feel that is the way to really enjoy seeing the animals. An in country driving trip is the way to go!

Myanmar was interesting and we are so glad we did that part, though it was the hardest part of the trip.

We have now seen a good bit of Australia in our two trips there. It has many things to see and we have enjoyed ever minute there. I I loved West Australia best, Tasmania is wonderful!

Travel is a true adventure and a wonderful experience!!

Happy travels!